Unlike James Bond, who oftentimes goes well out of his way to engage in perilous adventures, Jack Ryan tries to avoid it. Danger gravitates toward him naturally, and he always seems to get caught up in unwanted jeopardy. But he’s no stranger to playing it tough. Patriot Games is one of the most solid action films to come from Hollywood during the 90’s and effectively rolls mystery, suspense and explosive action into one, showing the startlingly more serious side to adventure films. Author Tom Clancy’s unmistakable touch of stealth, triple-crosses and covert operations makes Patriot Games an equal and more to Ryan’s previous vehicle, The Hunt for Red October.

Retired CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) is vacationing in London with his wife and daughter. When an IRA terrorist group attacks Lord Holmes, a member of the royal family, Ryan is caught in the middle - and in a split second decision, attacks one of the radicals. In the ensuing brawl, Holmes is saved, Ryan is wounded, Sean Miller (Sean Bean) is captured, and his little brother Patrick is killed. Infuriated, Miller vows to avenge his brother’s death as Ryan is scheduled to testify against him in court.

Dismissing the incident, Ryan and his family return home to the United States, only to be notified that an ultra-violent IRA faction has freed Miller during his transfer to an Albany prison. Ryan insists upon rejoining the CIA in order to stop the dangerous subversives, but must protect his family from Miller’s seething revenge schemes and his uncanny ability to strike with precision and secrecy, despite the defenses of the U.S and English governments.

This time around, director Phillip Noyce takes over for John McTiernan, and brings with him the undisputable charisma of Harrison Ford. While the first film focused on Sean Connery’s Ramius more than the character of Jack Ryan, Patriot Games chiefly follows the nonstop politically-fueled adventures of our favorite analyst. There is no time for paranoia as the more irrational agitators within the IRA journey to the States to plan political strikes and to attack Ryan’s family. Despite the realistic action sequences, Patriot Games slows its pace as it includes numerous scenes to establish characters’ motives, jobs, backgrounds, and relationships. Because of this attention to detail, the audience can become more involved with the heroes and villains, but die-hard action junkies might grow impatient. Patriot Games is not an out-and-out action film – it also has the substance of a great mystery, and the nerve-wracking anticipation of a suspenseful thriller. From start to finish it is essentially a chase movie – although Ryan and Miller frequently switch roles of hunter and target.

The original music by James Horner is reminiscent of Aliens, with its eerie violins and the constant contrast of serenity with violence. Patriot Games is a very serious film, and is not riddled with comic relief. The villains are craftier than the average blow-em-up actioner, and subsequently the protagonists must also be smarter to uncover the various plots. With this focus on intelligence, the film spends time tracking enemy movements, brooding over traitors, anticipating double crosses, and watching as soldiers in night vision goggles and stealth gear descend upon Ryan’s house – all staples of a Tom Clancy novel.

More modern than Red October, and certainly more intense (Patriot Games garnered an R rating as opposed to October’s PG), Jack Ryan is the new hero in town to watch. More realistic than James Bond and Jason Bourne combined, the audience can take extra delight in seeing Ryan pick up enemy weapons to use against them – a sensible factor many movie heroes predictably fail to do.

- Mike Massie